Antiviral methods and prepations

ABSTRACT

Methods for reducing the infection by human rhinovirus (HRV) of host cells susceptible to infection by HRV, comprising contacting the virus under conditions favorable for binding with an antiviral agent comprising a fragment of human rhinovirus major receptor protein (HRR) in a form that exhibits the ability to bind to HRV capsids and reduce infectivity of the virus, and an intranasal spray comprising HRR or a fragment thereof suitable for use in said method. Human rhinovirus receptor has subsequently been discovered by Greve et al. to be intercellular adhesion molecule-1.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/139,621 filed on Oct. 19, 1993 (now abandoned), which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/007,049 filed Jan. 21, 1993, abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 07/262,428 filed Oct. 25, 1988, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 07/239,571 filed Sep. 1, 1988, abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the isolation of proteins from animal cells, particularly mammalian cells, that bind to human rhinovirus (HRV). More particularly, the invention relates to the isolation of HRV receptor proteins that can bind to HRV and thereby block the infectivity of the virus. This property can serve as a basis for inhibiting the initiation or the spread of HRV infections, better known as the common cold.

In order to infect host cells, viruses must bind to and then enter cells to initiate an infection. Since 1959, evidence has accumulated in the literature indicating that the presence of specific binding sites (receptors) on host cells could be a major determinant of tissue tropism of certain viruses. [Holland, J. J., and McLaren, L. C., The mammalian cell-virus relationship. II. Absorption, reception, and eclipse of poliovirus by HeLa cells, J. Exp. Med. 109, 487-504 (1959). Holland, J. J., Receptor affinities as major determinants of enterovirus tissue tropisms in humans, Virology 15, 312-326 (1961).] Among picornaviruses such as poliovirus, coxsockie virus, and rhinoviruses, specific binding to host cells has been demonstrated. By competition experiments, it has been demonstrated that some of these receptors are distinct from one another in that the saturation of the receptor of one virus had no effect on the binding of a second virus. [Lonberg-Holm, K, Crowell, R. L., and Philipson, L. Unrelated animal viruses share receptors, Nature 259, 679-681 (1976)].

Rhinoviruses form the largest family of picornaviruses, with 115 distinct serotypes identified to date. A large fraction of rhinoviruses (estimated to be 80%) appear to bind to a common receptor on human cells. [Abraham, G., and Colonno, R. J., Many rhinovirus serotypes share the same cellular receptor, J. of Virology 51, 340-345 (1984).] In 1985, the isolation of a monoclonal antibody that appeared to be directed against the major rhinovirus receptor was described. [Colonno, R. J., Callahan, P. L., and Long, W. J., Isolation of a monoclonal antibody that blocks attachment of the major group of human rhinoviruses, J. of Virology 57, 7-12 (1986).] It inhibited infection of cells with the appropriate serotypes of rhinovirus and it inhibited binding of radiolabeled rhinovirus to cells. This group subsequently reported that the monoclonal antibody bound to a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 90,000 daltons. Tomassini, J. E., and Colonno, R. J., Isolation of a receptor protein involved in attachment of human rhinoviruses, J. of Virology 58, 290-295 (1986).] This monoclonal antibody has been utilized in clinical trials with primates and humans and is understood to provide some protection against rhinovirus infection.

There are several other reports of attempts at therapeutic intervention in rhinovirus infections. Intranasal application of interferon in humans has been attempted. [Douglas, R. M., et al., Prophylactic efficacy of intranasal alpha2-interferon against rhinovirus infections in the family setting, The New England J. of Medicine, 314, 65-75 (1986).] In this case, significant reduction in the severity of the infection was found, although nosebleeds were observed as a side-effect. Also, several analogs of disoxaril ("WIN" compounds) that reduce the infectivity of a number of picornaviruses (with widely varying effectiveness, depending on the serotype) have been tested in tissue culture and in some animal models. [Fox, M. P., Otto, M. J., and McKinlay, M. A., Antimicrob. Ag. and Chemotherapy 30, 110-116 (1986).] These compounds appear to inhibit replication at a step subsequent to receptor binding, probably at some step of virus uncoating. The atomic coordinates of the binding sites of these compounds within the viral capsid of the serotype HRV14 have been determined by x-ray crystallography, and are located in a hydrophobic pocket present in each protomeric unit of the capsid. [Smith, T. J., et al., The site of attachment in human rhinovirus 14 for antiviral agents that inhibit uncoating, Science 233, 1286-1293 (1986).] The specific function of the binding pocket, if any, is unknown, but drug-resistant mutants with single amino acid interchanges in this region arise at high frequency and are viable. [Badger, J. et al., Structural analysis of a series of antiviral agents complexed with human rhinovirus 14, PNAS 85, 3304-3308 (1988).] This result calls into question the efficacy of such compounds as drugs. The production of anti-peptide antibodies in rabbits has been reported using peptides derived from amino acid sequence of the viral capsid proteins that line the "receptor canyon" of HRV14. [McCray, J., and Werner, G., Different rhinovirus serotypes neutralized by antipeptide antibodies, Nature 329:736-738 (1987).] While the titers of these sera are quite low, cross-serotype protection of cells in tissue culture from rhinovirus infection was demonstrated, raising the possibility of a vaccine.

It is an object of the present invention to isolate an HRV receptor protein from cells having the property of blocking HRV infection. Given the high affinity the virus has for its receptor, it was hypothesized that a therapeutic agent effective against HRV infection might be the receptor itself, or more specifically, the virus binding domain of the receptor. A protein, protein fragment, or peptide that comprises the virus binding domain could block the ability of virus to bind to host cells by occupying (blocking) the receptor binding cleft on the virus. Furthermore, since such a molecule would make some or all of the molecular contacts with the virus capsid that the receptor does, virus mutations that adversely affect binding of the molecule would adversely affect binding of the receptor, and would thus be deleterious or lethal for the virus; therefore, the likelihood of drug-resistant mutants would be very low. Furthermore, such a molecule would be human, lowering the likelihood of being antigenic in humans.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has been found that the human rhinovirus (HRV) major receptor can be isolated as a water soluble preparation which exhibits the desired property of binding to HRV capsids and substantially reducing infectivity of the virus. The preparation is in the form of detergent-complexed glycoprotein isolated from animal cells, preferably mammalian cells, that express the HRV major receptor. The purified receptor protein is characterized as follows. It is a glycoprotein with an apparent molecular weight of 95,000 daltons and includes the binding site for HRV. The glycoprotein contains 6-7 asparagine-linked oligosaccharide chains and exists in the preparation in the form of a detergent micelle-bound protein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1. Aminio acid sequence ot ICAM-1 (minus signal sequence). Sequences obtained from peptide fragments of HRR are indicated as dotted or dashed lines under corresponding sequence of ICAM-1 dashed means confidently assigned peptide sequences, dotted means ambiguous assignments, and "xx" means incorrect determinations of ambiguous assignments. The numbers under peptide sequences indicate code name of protein sequencing experiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In general terms, the HRV major receptor preparation of the present invention can be obtained by extraction of appropriate animal cells that are known to express the HRV major receptor with a nonionic detergent, followed by immunopurification. Many human cell lines express the receptor, such as HeLa and WI38. Any of these human sources of HRV receptor can be extracted. Particularly useful are HeLa cells. Furthermore, non-human mammalian transfectant cell lines that express the HRV receptor are known or can be prepared which provide another useful source of the receptor. In particular, transfectant cell lines as described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 130,378, infra, provide a ready source of receptor, particularly those secondary transfectants that have been selected for overexpression of receptor. Other animal cells as are known in the art or developed hereafter, such as insect tissue culture cells that have been tranfected with the gene and express the receptor, can also be used.

Essentially any nonionic detergent can be used for the extraction provided the native conformation of the protein receptor is not destroyed. Denaturation of the receptor can be determined by monitoring the ability of the extracted protein to inhibit virus infectivity or by sensitivity to proteolysis. It has been determined that the receptor can be denatured by heating at 60° C. for 30 minutes or by treatment with 1% SDS indicating that care need be taken to maintain the native conformation of the HRV binding site. Examples of useful non-ionic detergents are the alkyl polyoxyethylene ethers (such as Brij), alkylphenyl polyoxyethelene ethers (such as Triton X-100 and Nonidet P-40), acyl polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters (such as Tween), and beta-D-alkyl glucosides, with Triton X-100 being considered particularly preferred.

The key step in the purification of the receptor is fractionation with highly selective anti-receptor antibody. The most ready means to obtain such an antibody is by monoclonal techniques. It is particularly preferred to produce mouse monoclonal antibodies by generating hybridoma cell lines from fusion of murine mycloma cells and mouse transfectant cells expressing the HRV receptor. Further details are available in coponding U.S. patent application Ser. No. 130,378, infra. After binding the detergent-glycoprotein complexes obtained from the cell extract to the selected monoclonal antibody, complexes bound to antibody are separated from the remainder of the mixture. Thereafter, detergent-receptor complexes bound to antibody are dissociated, taking steps to again prevent denaturation, and the resulting water soluble receptor preparation isolated. Appropriate conditions for dissociating detergent-receptor complexes from the antibody can be determined empirically and can be expected to vary somewhat from antibody to antibody. Dissociation by raising pH has been found in some cases to be most effective with low pH or high salt conditions being operable but producing lower protein yields.

It is preferable to perform an intermediary purification before purification with antibody. Such intermediary steps comprise adsorbing the detergent extracted protein complexes to a lectin capable of binding HRV receptor, separating absorbed complexes from the remainder of the mixture, and dissociating such complexes for subsequent treatment with antibody. The selection of lectin and dissociating conditions is usually empirical. It has been found that the HRV receptor binds suitably to wheat germ agglutinin lectin and is dissociated effectively by washing with a solution of N-acetyl glucosamine. Because the oligosaccharides on the receptor protein are not completely characterized, and because the receptor protein can be glycosylated differently on different cell types (e.g., mouse cell transfectants), other lectins would be expected also to be suitable. The selection of an appropriate alternative to wheat germ agglutinin and/or eluting agent can be left to the ordinary skill in the art.

The resulting preparation can be treated with proteolytic agents such as proteases, e.g., trypsin, to produce smaller glycoprotein fragments that retain the ability to bind and reduce infectivity of HRV. For example, peptide fragments can be cleaved from a terminal region of the glycoprotein, e.g., the C-terminus, to yield glycoprotein fragments that retain HRV binding. Such glycoprotein fragments can, for example, have apparent molecular weights of between about 80,000 daltons and about 95,000 daltons. Smaller fragments which retain the HRV binding domain of the receptor are also considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

The receptor preparation of the present invention has been shown to inhibit the infectivity of the virus, presumably by binding to the HRV capsid to block its ability then to bind and infect human cells. Such an observation indicates that the receptor preparation will be useful in reducing the infection of host human cells in vivo by contacting the virus with the preparation under conditions favorable to binding with the virus. A therapeutic form would be that of an aqueous solution of the receptor in the presence of nonionic detergent to maintain the receptor in solution and in its native conformation. Detergents with lower critical micelle concentrations, such as the alkyl polyoxyethylene ether Brij 58, would be preferred in order to reduce the concentration of the detergent in the therapeutic solution. The receptor preparation can be administered in vivo by appropriate contact with those areas of the body susceptible to infection by HRV, e.g., by intranasal spray.

The present invention will now be illustrated, but is not intended to be limited, by the following examples.

Preparation of Purified Human Rhinovirus Receptor (HRR) Protein

(1) Human cells (for example, Hela) or mouse L-cell transfectants (for example, the cell lines described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 130,378, filed Dec. 8, 1987, McClelland and Meyer, "Transfectant Cell Lines Which Express the Major Human Rhinovirus Receptor") were grown up in large numbers as cellular monolayers in standard tissue culture medium (Dulbecco's modified essential medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum; transfectant cells were maintained in the same medium containing HAT (hypoxanthanine/aminoptherin/thymidine) to maintain selective pressure for the selectable marker (Herpes TK). Cells were solubilized for 1 hour at 4° C. in a physiological buffer (Phosphate-buffered saline) containing a nonionic detergent (for example, Triton X-100) (T buffer) and a cocktail of protease inhibitors (aprotinin, leupeptin at 10 μg/ml, EDTA at 1 mM) to prevent proteolytic degradation of the receptor. Insoluble material was removed by filtration through a 0.22μ filter.

(2) The extract was absorbed onto an affinity resin containing Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo., USA) crosslinked to Sepharose for 18 hours at 4° C. with gentle mixing (2 ml packed resin, containing 5 mg WGA/ml resin, per 10⁹ cells). The affinity resin was then washed extensively with buffer to remove unbound glycoproteins and eluted with the competing monosaccharide N-acetyl glucosamine (0.3M N-acetyl glucosamine in T buffer) for 1 hour at room temperature.

(3) The WGA-Sepharose eluant is then absorbed to an affinity resin to which purified monoclonal antibody to the HRR has been coupled (e.g., ATCC HB 9594, deposited on 19 Nov. 19, 1987 with the American Type Culture Collection, 10801 University Boulevard, Manassas, Va. 20110-2209 referred to in the McClelland and Meyer patent application, Ser. No. 130,378, supra). The monoclonal antibody IgG was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation [Parham, P., Meth. Enzymol. 92:110-138 (1983)], followed by affinity chromatography on either protein A Sepharose [Ey, P. L., et al., Immunochem. 15:429-436 (1978)] or an Abx column [J. T. Baker Co., Phillipsburg, N.J., USA] following the procedure described by the manufacturer. Monoclonal IgG affinity resin is prepared by coupling IgG to cyanogen bromide-activated Sepharose [Parham, P., supra].

After adding 10 μg/ml human transferrin to block adsorption of transferrin receptor to the resin, the eluant is incubated at 4° C. for 18 hours with the resin with mixing (40-200 μl of resin, containing 5 mg IgG/ml resin, per 10⁹ cells), washed extensively with T buffer to remove unbound proteins, and then eluted under nondenaturing conditions with a high pH buffer (0.05 M diethanolamine (pH 11.5) with 0.1% Triton X-100) for 1 hour at room temperature. The eluant is removed, neutralized by the addition of 0.2 volumes of 1 M HEPES (pH 7.2), and dialysed against three changes of a physiological buffer containing a small amount of nonionic detergent to maintain the solubility of the receptor (0.01 M HEPES, 0.150 M NaCl, 0.001 M CaCl₂, 0.1% Triton X-100, pH 7.5).

The receptor may be further purified by velocity sedimentation through sucrose gradients to remove a group of minor high molecular weight (>200,000 daltons) contaminants. The receptor preparation is layered on top of a 15-35% sucrose gradient (total volume about 4.5 ml, and centrifuged at 300,000×g for 18 hours at 4° C. Fractions are collected from the gradient and fractions containing the rhinovirus receptor, which sediments about 1/3 of the way down the gradient, are pooled, concentrated (if necessary), and dialysed.

(4) The resultant preparation from Hela cells was found to contain a glycoprotein with an apparent molecular weight of 95,000 daltons. From mouse transfectant cells, a protein of the same molecular weight but of greater heterogenity (upon analysis by SDS-PAGE) was isolated. The isolated protein has been shown to comprise the rhinovirus receptor by:

(a) Immunoprecipitation from ¹²⁵ I-surface labeled Hela cells and mouse transfectants expressing the human rhinovirus receptor with a monoclonal antibody that inhibits rhinovirus binding to cells.

(b) Immunoprecitation of purified, ¹²⁵ I-labeled receptor with the ATCC HB 9594 monoclonal antibody.

(5) A tryptic fragment was prepared by digesting the receptor with 1% (wt E/wt receptor protein) trypsin for 1 hour at 37° C. The reaction mixture was applied to a GF-450 gel filtration column (Dupont) equilibrated in N buffer and the proteolytic fragment separated from the enzyme. Analysis of the resultant fragments by SDS-PAGE indicated a mixture of a 90,000 dalton and an 83,000 dalton fragment of the receptor. These fragments eluted in the same position on a gel filtration column as intact receptor, suggesting that it is bound to a detergent micelle. Amino acid sequencing of the fragments yielded no sequence, indicating that they, like the intact receptor, have a blocked N-terminus, and further indicating that peptides lost from the 90,000 and 83,000 dalton fragments are from the C-terminus of the protein.

Characterization of the Preparation

(1) The purity of the receptor preparation was assessed by SDS-PAGE followed by silver staining. Quantitation of protein was determined by comparing silver stained protein with a series of standard proteins of known amount on SDS-PAGE and confirmed by amino acid analysis, assuming a protein molecular weight of 50,000 daltons (determined by determining the apparent molecular weight on SDS-PAGE of deglycosylated receptor).

(2) The protein was shown to be a glycoprotein containing 6-7 asparagine-linked oligosaccharide chains by digestion of core-glycosylated receptor with endoglycosidase H. Upon gel filtration, the receptor eluted with a volume consistent with a protein molecular weight of 250,000 daltons. This data, along with evidence from chemical cross-linking experiments indicating the receptor is a monomer, are consistent with the receptor behaving like a protein bound to a detergent micelle.

(3) The purified receptor protein was shown to bind to rhinovirus in vitro. When incubated for 30 minutes at 34° C. with 1 μg/ml HRV14 or HRV3, unlabeled, ¹²⁵ I-labeled, and ³⁵ S-cysteine metabolically labeled HRR could be shown to associate with virus by sedimentation in sucrose gradients or by pelleting in a high speed centrifuge. This binding could be shown to be specific by competing the binding of radiolabeled receptor with unlabeled receptor. The in vitro reaction had the same temperature-dependency as in vivo: receptor bound to the virus at 37° C. but not at 4° C.

(4) The receptor was shown to inhibit infectivity of rhinovirus incubating HRR with virus (under the same conditions as described above in which binding could be demonstrated) and then testing the resultant mixtures for infectivity by a standard limiting dilution infectivity assay. A Hela cell suspension was prepared by detaching with 0.03% EDTA/PBS for 10 minutes, and the cells washed in 2% FBS/DMEM (I medium) with 10 mM HEPES and adjusted to a concentration of 1.1×10⁷ cells/ml. Virus or virus-receptor mixtures were serially diluted in I medium, and 20 μl of virus was mixed with 180 μl of cells and incubated for 60 minutes at room temperature. The mixture was then diluted with 9 volumes of I medium and plated out into 8-10 wells of a 96 well tissue culture plate (approximately 200 μl/well), and cultured at 34° C. for 5 days. Cultures were then scored by CPE (cytopathic effect) and the titer of the original stock determined by the following formula:

    #dead wells/10×50×dilution factor=PFU/ml

The results are shown in the Table below.

                  TABLE                                                            ______________________________________                                                                 Virus                                                  Virus                HRR (M/L)                                                                                         Titer (PFV/ml)                         ______________________________________                                         HRV14         0                   2 × 10.sup.7                           "                     6.6 × 10.sup.-9                                                               3.5 × 10.sup.6                                "                       2 × 10.sup.-8                                                                 4.5 × 10.sup.6                              "                     6.6 × 10.sup.-8                                                                 2 × 10.sup.6                                "                       2 × 10.sup.-7                                                              3 × 10.sup.4                                   HRV3                  0                         2.5 × 10.sup.6           "                     6.6 × 10.sup.-9                                                                 3 × 10.sup.5                                "                       2 × 10.sup.-8                                                                 3.5 × 10.sup.5                              "                     6.6 × 10.sup.-8                                                               3.5 × 10.sup.4                                "                       2 × 10.sup.-7                                                              5 × 10.sup.3                                   ______________________________________                                    

Additional HRV serotypes were tested. HRV 4, 11, 17 and 89 serotypes (major class) were inhibited by the virus, whereas HRV 1a and 2 (minor class) were not.

The results described above indicate that the purified HRR can block the infectivity of rhinoviruses belonging to the major receptor class of rhinoviruses. The infectivity inhibition property of the receptor protein is correlated with its ability to bind to the virus, and is presumed to act by blocking the receptor binding site on the virus. This property of the receptor is manifested at low concentrations of the receptor protein, and indicates a high affinity of the receptor for the virus. The significance of these results is that the purified, soluble receptor could be used to inhibit the initiation or the spread of rhinovirus infections in vivo. The purified protein also provides a source of material from which smaller protein fragments and peptides could be derived which have the same activity as the intact receptor.

Purified protein was then subjected to limited or complete proteolytic degradation, peptides were purified by either reverse-phase chromatography, gel filtration, or SDS-PAGE, and then subjected to automated protein sequencing. These sequences were used to search protein sequence (NRFB and MIPSX) and DNA sequence (Genbank) databases. A match of all known peptide sequences determined from HRR protein was made. (Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 Simmons et al, "ICAM, An Adhesion Ligand of LFA-1, Is Homologous To The Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule of NCAM", Nature, 331, 624-627 (1988)). ICAM was under investigation by other researchers because of its role in the adhesion of T lymphocytes to a variety of different cell types. It is hypothesized that ICAM (present on fibro-blasts, epithelial cells, leukocytes, and endothelial cells) interacts with a structure called LFA-1 (lymphocyte-function associated antigen-1) present on the surface of T lymphocytes, and is thereby responsible for the adhesion to these cell types.

We had determined the sequence of 106 amino acids of the rhinovirus receptor, and all 106 matched exactly the sequence of ICAM (out of a total of 507 amino acids predicted for the ICAM sequence). Other biochemical information supports the identity of HRR with ICAM. First, the primary mRNA translation product synthesized in an in vitro translation system has an apparent molecular weight of 55,000 daltons which is the same as ICAM. Secondly, the HRR protein species found in cells poisoned with tunicamycin, a specific inhibitor of asparagine-linked glycosylation, has an apparent molecular weight of 54,000 daltons, consistent with the removal of a signal sequence from the N-terminus of the protein. Third, partial digestion of core-glycosylated HRR protein indicates the presence of seven asparagine-linked carbohydrate groups, consistent with the presence of eight potential carbohydrate acceptor sequences (N-S/T) in the amino acid sequence of ICAM. Finally, the chromosome map position of HRR was determined to be human chromosome 19, identical to that determined for ICAM.

Since the complete nucleotide and amino acid sequence of ICAM has been determined, and there is substantial, if not overwhelming evidence that ICAM and the HRR are the same or very similar molecules, the complete amino acid sequence of the rhinovirus receptor is now known. The determination of this amino acid sequence, which is a partial chemical structure of this molecule, provides the ability to design and produce large amount of receptor protein, fragments, functional domains, and truncated versions, and analogs of receptor protein, and peptides that have inhibitory activity towards rhinovirus and coxsackie A virus infection. The complete amino acid sequence also provides information needed for biophysical and biochemical studies of rhinovirus-receptor interaction which will lead to the identification of crucial molecular contacts, which can be used for design of novel inhibitory molecules.

Since the ICAM molecule is a member of the immunoglobulin supergene family that maps to chromosome 19, (Eur. J. Immunol., 15, 103-106 (1984) and since other picornaviruses, such as poliovirus and coxsackie virus, bind to receptors whose genes are located on chromosome 19, it is possible that ICAM can be used as a basis for the development of therapeutics to counter infections by those other picornaviruses as well. It is possible that ICAM or fragments thereof would be useful directly as therapeutics for other viruses and inflammatory diseases. Alternatively, knowledge of ICAM structure will be useful in the identification of the receptors of those viruses. Further, ICAM-1 is closely related to two adhesion proteins of the adult nervous system, neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and a family of epithelial cell molecules including CEA, NCA, TM-CEA, and the pregnancy-specific B1-glycoproteins. NCAM, MAG and ICAM-1 each have five immunoglobulin-like domains, see Dustin et al "Supergene Families Meet In The Immune System", Commentary, Elsevier Publications, Cambridge, 1988. The relationship of the picornaviruses and the supergene family of ICAM, NCAM and MAG provide the basis of developing proteins, protein fragments, functional domains, analogs and mixtures thereof for inhibiting infectivity of this class of viruses.

Knowledge of the amino acid sequence, and information about the ICAM protein coupled with the knowledge of HHR and rhinovirus provide the basis for the following approaches to design protein fragments and analogs for treatment of rhinovirus infection and for treatment of inflammation.

Soluble forms of biologically active host cell protein could be used to inhibit virus infection, in contrast to the cell membrane bound receptor protein that normally facilitates the infection. Soluble forms of biologically active receptor protein, protein fragments, functional domains or analogs could include use of detergents as described supra. Alternatively, elimination of the C-terminus could render the protein(s) soluble. A biologically active tryptic fragment is a mixture of two species, one with an apparent molecular weight of 83,000 daltons and one of 90,000 daltons (relative to HRR of 95Kd). The N-terminus of both species is blocked, indicating that they start from residue 1 of the intact HRR molecule, and peptides are removed from C-terminus: the largest possible fragment would be from residue 1 to residue 488. The downward shift in apparent molecular weight relative to intact HRR indicates a loss of >5,000 daltons, or 45 amino acid residues, which would place the new C-termini of fragments at positions proximal (N-terminal) to the transmembrane segment.

Examples of soluble fragments could include the entire extracellular domain (up to a.a. 480) or could include either/or both distinct parts of the extracellular domain (a.a. 1-200; 200-460) of the amino acid sequence of the receptor protein. It is further anticipated that smaller peptide fragments may provide biologically active analogs for inhibiting virus infection.

A full length cDNA clone of the HRR will be isolated from a cDNA library of He1 or other cells expressing the receptor by screening with oligonucleotides made from the published sequence of ICAM-1. Construction and expression of domain fragments of the HRR will be achieved using established recombinant DNA methodologies (Fisher et al, Nature, 331, 76-78 (1988); Hussey et al, Nature, 331, 78-81 (1988); Deen et al, Nature, 331, 82-86 (1988). A soluble extracellular domain will be made by cleaving a cDNA clone of the HRR coding sequence with ThaI which cuts at position 37 in the signal peptide region and at position 1415, 12 amino acids before the start of the transmembrane domain. Synthetic oligonucleotide linkers will be added in a stepwise fashion to the 5' and 3' ends of the molecule to restore the signal peptide and initiator ATG at the N termnus and to introduce an in frame translational stop codon at the C-terminus. The position of the stop codon may be varied to produce alternative truncated forms of the molecule. Similarly, different infrequently cutting restriction enzymes will be used to insert stop codons in other regions of the molecule. Restriction enzyme sites will be included at the ends of the linkers to allow directional cloning into a variety of expression vectors. Oligonucleotide site directed mutagenesis, using conventional methods, will be used to introduce restriction enzyme sites where no convenient naturally occurring sites exist. Additionally, the polymerase chain reaction (PCA) technique will be used to produce specific DNA fragments encoding domains and other sub-regions of the molecule.

The approach described above will also be used to produce additional subfragments of the receptor such as the five immunoglobulin-like domains (residues 1-88, 89-185, 186-284, 285-385, 386-453, Staunton et al, Cell, 52, 925-933 (1988). In this case appropriate signal sequences to direct protein secretion for the expression system being used will be included. Various expression systems will be used including viral promoters in mammalian cells (Cate et al, Cell, 45, 685-698 (1986), insect cells (Smith et al Pros. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 82, 8404-8408 (1985); and E. coli (Skerra and Pluckthun, Science, 240, 1038-1041 (1988). Subfragments of the receptor produced in the above manner will be tested for the ability to bind major rhinovirus serotypes and to reduce virus infectivity. Expression of the extra-cellular domain as described above will also be used to derive sufficient quantities of the soluble receptor for structural studies such as X-ray crystallography.

Additional biologically active fragments will be evaluated utilizing overlapping sets of synthetic peptides of 10-20 residues corresponding to part or all of the HRR protein. The peptides will be made and individually tested for the ability to inhibit virus binding to receptor.

These peptide fragments could be direct copies of a portion of the rhinovirus receptor, or could contain sequences from non-contiguous regions of the receptor.

ICAM has been predicted, based on homology to NCAM, to be a member of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily. One would expect that the immuno-globulin-like domains in ICAM would have the basic "immunoglobulin fold", as has been shown for two other members of this family, beta-2-microglobulin and the HLA-A2 alpha-3 domain. This fold consists of a "beta-barrel" conformation consisting of two antiparallel beta-pleated sheets, one composed of three and one composed of four beta strands; a di-sulfide bond between two cysteine residues (separated by approximately 60 amino acids along the chain) connects the two sheets (Williams, A. F., Immun. Today 8, 298-303 (1987). Two of the disulfide bonds, those corresponding to domains 2 (C110-C161) and 3 (C212-C265), have been experimentally determined by us, providing support for the model. This model for the structure provides a basis for designing unique analogs that could mimic the virus binding site and be useful as receptor blockers. Each pair of antiparallel beta strands in the beta-barrel is linked by a hairpin turn of variable size; such turns or loops that protrude from secondary structures are often found to play roles in recognition of ligands (Lezczynski and Rose, Science. 224, 849-855 (1986). Such pro-truding structures may be of particular interest in the rhinovirus receptor, since the receptor binding site on the virus capsid is proposed to be in a recessed cavity. Using the sequence of the HRR, such turns and loops could be predicted based on a beta-barrel structure and produced as synthetic peptides with addition of novel cysteine residues at the N- and C-terminus of the peptides; a disulfide bond would then be formed between such residues on the same peptide to close the loop covalently (in contrast to the native protein, wherein the loop would be closed by noncovalent interactions between the adjacent beta-strands). Such peptides would have a conformation more analogous to the conformation in the native protein than a simple linear peptide, and would be tested for virus-binding activity.

Method of localizing the region or domain of the molecule responsible for virus-binding activity. Site-directed antibodies directed against specific portion of the HRR (predicted from a working model based on an immunoglobulin fold) could be produced by making synthetic peptides corresponding to selected regions of the protein, coupling such peptides to larger carrier proteins, and immunizing rabbits or other animals with such conjugates by standard methodology. Such anti-bodies could be tested for the ability to inhibit virus binding; inhibition with a subset of such antibodies would direct attention to specific domains or parts of domains.

Specific reactive groups on some amino acid residues on the receptor protein can be chemically modified under non-denaturing conditions. As a consequence of the modification of some residues virus-binding ability may be lost. By the use of radioactive tracers in the modifying reagent, the modification of some amino acid residues may be correlated with loss of binding activity, implicating those groups in recognition. This would direct attention towards a specific part of the molecule or a specific amino acid residue as playing a specific role in virus binding. Such residues could then be experimentally modified in in vitro mutagenesis experiments. As an example, it has been found that labelling HRR with radioactive Bolton/Hunter reagent (an N-hydroxysuccinimide ester, which specifically modifies N-termini and lysine residues) substantially reduces its ability to bind to rhinovirus.

Determination of the three dimensional structure of the virus-binding domain of the HRR by X-ray crystallography and/or Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Using the three-dimensional coordinates of HRV14 (from the Brookhaven Data Bank), find the optimal "docking" of the two molecules by computer graphics methodology. The structure of the "docked" complex could then be used to refine and improve the properties of the protein or peptide fragment of the receptor. Examples of such improvements would be: (1) increasing the affinity of virus-binding reaction; (2) producing a smaller molecule; and (3) deleting or damaging other regions of the molecule, such as that needed for binding to LFA-1. If the binding site for LFA-1 is on a different domain, the domain could be deleted. Alternatively, if the binding site for LFA-1 is on the virus-binding domain, site directed mutagenesis of specific amino acids could be used to inhibit the ability to binding.

Key residues of the receptor involved in virus binding will be determined by oligonucleotide site directed mutagenesis. For example, pools of mutants produced by saturation mutagenesis will be screened by the method of Peterson and Seed (Cell, 54, 65-72 (1988), using either HRV14 or monoclonal antibody/complement killing as the negative selection, and a rabbit polyclonal antibody as the positive selection. Synthetic peptides corresponding to regions of the molecule identified in this way will be made and tested for virus binding and the ability to reduce infectivity.

Pharmaceutical preparations of proteins, protein fragments, functinal domain and analogs have an application in a plurality of diseases. With the knowledge that HRV and LFA-1 both bind to ICAM it is anticipated that analogs of ICAM could be designed that bind to rhinovirus and thereby inhibit rhinovirus infection, but which do not disrupt the interaction of ICAM and LFA-1. Alternatively, mitogenesis of selected residues (amino acids) will be made based on structural predictions and biochemical structure.

Again with the knowledge that ICAM and HRR are the same molecule, it is anticipated that it may have application in fragments, functional domains or analogs of LFA-1 could be utilized to disrupt interactions between HRR and rhinovirus and thereby treat rhinovirus infections.

HRR or fragments of it may have application in the disruption of interactions between ICAM and LFA-1, which could be useful for the treatment of inflammation.

Peptides derived from the known capsid proteins of rhinovirus could be useful for the disruption of interactions between ICAM and LFA-1, which could be useful for the treatment of inflammation. Carbohydrate groups that are not necessary for biological activity will be removed to enhance production of peptides in bacteria.

Site-directed mutagenesis of cystines may be useful to limit refolding to biologically active conformations. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for reducing the infection by human rhinovirus (HRV) of host cells susceptible to infection by HRV, comprising contacting the virus under conditions favorable for binding with an antiviral agent comprising a fragment of human rhinovirus major receptor protein (HRR), wherein said fragment exhibits the ability to bind to HRV capsids and reduce infectivity of the virus, with the proviso that said antiviral agent cannot be full-length human rhinovirus major receptor protein.
 2. A method for reducing infectivity of human rhinovirus of the major receptor class, said method comprising contacting said virus under conditions favorable for binding with an antiviral agent comprising a fragment of human rhinovirus major receptor wherein said fragment exhibits the ability to bind to capsids of said virus.
 3. A method for reducing the initiation or spread of the common cold due to human rhinovirus (HRV), said method comprising administering an antiviral agent intranasal spray comprising human rhinovirus major receptor or a fragment thereof, wherein said human rhinovirus major receptor or fragment thereof exhibits the ability to bind to human rhinovirus and reduce infectivity thereof.
 4. A method for reducing the initiation or spread of the common cold due to human rhinovirus (HRV), said method comprising contacting said virus with an antiviral agent comprising human rhinovirus major receptor or a fragment thereof, wherein said antiviral agent exhibits the ability to bind to HRV and reduce infectivity of the virus.
 5. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein said method is performed in vivo.
 6. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein said antiviral agent is isolated from cells that express the human rhinovirus major receptor.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said antiviral agent is obtained by detergent extraction of said cells.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein said antiviral agent is complexed with a detergent.
 9. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein said antiviral agent is purified by immunoprecipitation prior to contact with the virus.
 10. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein said fragments are N-terminal fragments missing one or more peptide fragments from the C-terminus compared to intact HRR.
 11. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein said fragments are soluble in detergent solution.
 12. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein said fragments are tryptic fragments.
 13. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein said fragments have an apparent molecular weight of from about 80,000 to about 95,000 daltons.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said fragments have an apparent molecular weight of from about 83,000 to about 90,000 daltons.
 15. The method of claim 13 wherein said fragment has an apparent molecular weight of about 80,000 daltons.
 16. The method of claim 14 wherein said fragment has an apparent molecular weight of about 83,000 daltons.
 17. The method of claim 14 wherein said fragment has an apparent molecular weight of about 90,000 daltons.
 18. An intransal spray for application to tissues susceptible to infection by human rhinovirus (HRV), said intranasal spray comprising human rhinovirus major receptor protein or a fragment thereof, wherein said human rhinovirus major receptor protein or fragment thereof exhibits the ability to bind to HRV capsids and reduce infectivity of the virus.
 19. An intranasal spray for reducing the initiation or spread of the common cold due to human rhinovirus (HRV), said intranasal spray comprising human rhinovirus major receptor or a fragment thereof, wherein said human rhinovirus major receptor or fragment thereof exhibits the ability to bind to HRV capsids and reduce infectivity of the virus. 